General Education Submission Form
Electronic submissions are preferred.
A.
GE component for which course is being proposed: Quantitative and Analytical
Reasoning
B.
Submitted by
C.
Ideally, submissions should be discussed by the entire department prior to submittal.
Tom Knecht
x Chair has reviewed and approved the course.
D.
Course being proposed (please attach syllabus):
POL 40: Empirical Political Research (see syllabus attached).
E.
This course
X Has not been modified, but is being submitted to check its suitability
Has had its syllabus rewritten to communicate the course’s contribution to
GE
Has had its contents modified to address the relevant GE issues
Is a new course designed to fulfill the GE requirement
F.
This course is being submitted as
A Template. Applicable to courses with multiple sections which require only general
training in the discipline. The submission should come from the department chair and
should clearly identify what course content and what elements of the syllabus the
department has agreed will common to all sections. Upon approval by the GE
Committee, any course whose syllabus is determined by the department to meet the
specifications of the template is approved to satisfy this area requirement. A copy of
each syllabus should be forwarded to the G.E. committee for record keeping purposes.
x An Individual Course. Applicable to courses requiring specialized training in the
discipline or are typically offered by a particular instructor. The course should be
resubmitted and reassessed in the event of a change in staffing or syllabus.
G.
Statement of rationale:
(Include a list of the area objectives. After each objective, list several course activities (lectures,
readings, assignments, etc.) that address it. If it is not completely obvious, explain how the
activities relate to the objective. Please attach a copy of the syllabus which has been annotated to
identify the corresponding activities. Electronic annotations are preferred. Please use the
comment feature in Word to annotate electronic copies. )
POL 40: Empirical Political Research is the political science department’s
methods course. We feel the course is a perfect fit for the General Education
category, Quantitative and Analytical Reasoning. The course teaches students
about research design and introduces quantitative, qualitative, and experimental
methodology. In particular, the course focuses on quantitative methods because
(a) statistics have become favored method in the discipline, (b) students have less
familiarity with quantitative methodology than they do with either qualitative or
experimental methods, (c) students who learn quantitative methods have a distinct
advantage in their upper division courses, (d) quantitative skills give our students
an advantage in the job market. Therefore, students learn the statistical software
package SPSS and use quantitative methods to write an original research paper.
The following describes the course objectives and how they are evaluated:

apply relevant scientific, mathematical and logical methods to analyze and
solve problems effectively
The entire course is devoted to applying scientific, mathematical, and logical
methods to analyze and solve political problems effectively. Students
demonstrate their knowledge through quizzes, exams, and an original research
paper.

Design effective research with an understanding of issues like ontology
and epistemology, internal and external validity, development of
hypotheses.
The first section of the course focuses on research design. Students read peerreviewed journal articles that are exemplars of research design. Students
demonstrate their competence through quizzes, a research paper, and exams.

compare and contrast different methodologies (e.g., quantitative,
qualitative, experimental)
Students learn that there are pros and cons associated with every
methodology. They compare and contrast different types of methods from
peer-reviewed journal articles and demonstrate this knowledge in quizzes and
exams.

critique positivist epistemology
There are several assumptions in positivist epistemology, including that there
is a “truth” to be discovered empirically. Not everyone agrees with these
foundational assumptions. Students read critiques of positivist epistemology
and discuss these critiques in class.

communicate empirical results effectively
POL 40 devoted considerable attention to student writing. Several course
lectures are devoted to writing and students are given numerous resources to
help them improve their writing. The central requirement for this course is an
original quantitative research project. Students work in teams of three or
more to conduct original research on a topic in political science. The project
culminates in a 25-35 page paper and a public presentation. Papers are
evaluated on the quality of writing as well as the quality of the research.
POL 040: Empirical Political Research
Prof. Tom Knecht
Department of Political Science
Westmont College
tknecht@westmont.edu
805-565-6227
T/TH 10-11:50; WH 218
Office Hours: T 12-3; Th 1-2:30
Fall 2012
Course Description: What is the “science” in “political science”? How do we set about
finding answers to important and interesting questions? Can we learn anything about
politics from numbers? This course addresses these questions by putting theory into
practice: Students will conduct their own quantitative, qualitative, and experimental
research. Along the way, students will also become more discriminating consumers of
political science research by learning to look for operationalized constructs and
relationships among variables; to recognize what is required for a measurement to be
valid and reliable; to distinguish between correlation and causation; and to know the
difference between random and convenience samples and the effects these have on the
conclusions drawn. Students will also develop skill in recognizing flaws in research
designs; learn how to become critical consumers of research reports; and understand the
basic professional ethics for conducting research, including informed consent, voluntary
participation, and the risk/benefit ratio. This course fulfills the General Education
requirement Quantitative and Analytical Reasoning.
Requirements: Grades will be based on the following:
1. Research Project. The central requirement for this course is an original, mixedmethods research project. Students will work in teams of three or more to
conduct original research on a topic in political science. The project will
culminate in a 25-35 page paper and a public presentation. Your grade for
research project is based on overall group work (50%) and evaluations of your
individual performance (50%). More details on the project will be handed out in
class.
2. Participation. This class will rely heavily on student participation. There are
three components to the participation grade. First, you are expected to attend
lecture and show up to class on time. Students are allowed three unexcused
absences, after which the participation grade begins dropping. Second, you are
expected to actively participate in class discussions. This means that you must
complete all the readings before class and be prepared to discuss the course
material. Finally, you are expected to be a civil, constructive, and engaged
member of the class. This means treating others, including the professor, with
respect. It also entails basic classroom etiquette, including: not checking email,
turning off your computer and phone, and not reading the paper during class.
3. Exams. There will three exams in the course. Each exam will feature
identification, multiple choice, short answer, and interpretive questions. The
final, held Dec 16 at noon, is cumulative and includes a take-home portion,
identification, multiple choice, short answer, and interpretive questions. No
make-up exams will be given except in cases of documented emergencies.
4. Quizzes and homework. Students should expect a quiz and/or homework
assignments each class session. The homework will typically consist of short
assignments that will help you write your research paper. Quizzes will cover the
readings, lectures, and use of the statistical software. Many of the quizzes,
especially reading quizzes, allow you to use your notes; other quizzes are closednote. The style of these quizzes will vary from multiple choice, short answer, to
take-home work. Students may skip three quizzes; if no quizzes are skipped, the
lowest three grades are dropped. No make-up quizzes will be given except in
cases of documented emergencies.
Course Grades:
Research Project
Quizzes and homework
Participation
Exam #1
Exam #2
Final
Total
25%
15
10
15
15
20
100%
Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. It should be noted that
I am vigilant about checking the authenticity of students’ work and have no qualms about
prosecuting violators. If you have any questions of what constitutes academic
dishonesty, please ask me or refer to Westmont’s plagiarism policy at:
http://www.westmont.edu/_offices/provost/plagiarism/plagiarism_policy.html.
Students with Special Needs: Students who have been diagnosed with a disability
(learning, physical or psychological) are strongly encouraged to contact the Disability
Services office as early as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations for this
course. Formal accommodations will only be granted for students whose disabilities have
been verified by the Disability Services office. These accommodations may be necessary
to ensure your full participation and the successful completion of this course.
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes: By the end of POL 40, students will:
 apply relevant scientific, mathematical and logical methods to analyze and
solve problems effectively
 apply different methodologies (e.g., quantitative, qualitative,
experimental) to the study of politics




compare and contrast different methodologies (e.g., quantitative,
qualitative, experimental)
critique positivist epistemology
discuss issues of internal and external validity
communicate empirical results effectively
Readings:
I.
Introduction to Empirical Methods and Secondary Source Research
1. Aug 30. Introduction
Topics: Introduction, survey of course and of political science.
Reading: None
Assignment Due: Pre-test of empirical political methods
2. Sept 1. Philosophy of Science
Topics: Ontology, epistemology, normative and non-normative approaches to
political science.
Reading:
Powlick, Philip J., and Andrew Z. Katz. 1998. "Defining the American
Public Opinion/Foreign Policy Nexus." Mershon International
Studies Review 42 (1):29-61.
Assignment Due: IDEAlog Assignment
3. Sept 6. Asking Questions, Forming Hypotheses.
Topics: Research questions; hypotheses; variables.
Reading:
Baum, Matthew A. 2004a. "How Public Opinion Constrains the Use of
Force." Presidential Studies Quarterly 34 (2):187-226.
4. Sept 8. Measurement and Validity
Topics: Measurement, internal and external validity.
Reading:
Knecht, Thomas, and M. Stephen Weatherford. 2006. "Public Opinion and
Foreign Policy: The Stages of Presidential Decision Making."
International Studies Quarterly 50 (3):705-27.
Assignment Due: Research Question
5. Sept 13. Causal inference and hypothesis testing
Topics: Correlation and causation; spurious relationships; intervening variables;
probability.
Reading:
Canes-Wrone, Brandice and Kenneth W. Shotts. 2004. “The Conditionnal
Nature of Presidential Responsiveness to Public Opinion.”
American Journal of Political Science 48 (4):690-706.
6. Sept 15. Secondary Source Research
Topics: How to conduct secondary source research, LibGuides
Reading: Read a review article on your subject (see handout)
Assignments Due: One Review Article Worksheet (post to Eureka)
7. Sept 20. Secondary Source Research II
Topics: Literature Review, APSA Style Manual
Readings: (1) One journal article on your topic, and (2) read the
section on literature reviews (pp. 4-9) in “Paper Writing Guide 2010” on
Eureka
Assignment Due: One Literature Review Worksheet (post to Eureka)
8. Sept 22. Writing a Research Paper – The “Front-End”
Topics: Introduction (Thesis, Road Map), Literature Review, and Theory;
Readings: One journal article on your topic; Paper Writing Guide 2010—read
sections Introduction (Thesis, Road Map) and Theory
Assignment Due: One Literature Review Worksheet (post to Eureka)
9. Sept 27. Writing a Research Paper – The “Back-End”
Topics: Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion
Readings: One journal article on your topic; complete Paper Writing Guide 2010
Assignment Due: One Literature Review Worksheet (post to Eureka)
10. Sept 29. Research Design and Critique
Topics: Levels of analysis, types of theories, critics of empirical political research
Readings: One journal article on your topic
Assignment Due: One Literature Review Worksheet (post to Eureka)
11. Oct 4. Exam #1
II. Quantitative Methods
12. Oct 6. Overview of Quantitative Methods
No Readings
13. Oct 11. Fall Holiday—No Class
14. Oct 13. Overview of Quantitative Methods and Organizing Data
Topics: Philosophy of quantitative research; organization of data and codebooks,
how to use SPSS; mean, median, and mode; standard deviation
15. Oct 18. Crosstabs and Statistical Significance
Topics: Crosstabs and statistical significance, indexes, recoding
Assignments Due: Front-end of Research Paper (see Research Project Guide);
Measures of Central Tendency Assignment Due
16. Oct 20. Crosstabs and Statistical Significance
Topics: Crosstabs and statistical significance
17. Oct 25. Regression
Topic: OLS regression, control variables
18. Oct 27. Regression II
Topics: How to interpret quantitative research; regression.
Assignment Due: Crosstabs and Statistical Significance Assignment
19. Nov 1. Exam Prep
III. Qualitative and Experimental Methods
20. Nov 3. Exam #2
21. Nov 8. Overview of Qualitative Methods
Topics: Overview of case study, ethnography, elite interviews, and content
analysis research.
Reading: None
Assignment Due: Regression Assignment
22. Nov 10. Case Study Methods
Topics: Case selection, population vs. sample, process tracing and congruence
procedure
Reading:
Foyle, Douglas C. 1997. “Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Elite Beliefs
as a Mediating Variable.” International Studies Quarterly 41 (1):141-168.
23. Nov 15. Content Analysis
Topics: Content analysis
Readings:
Druckman, James N. and Michael Parkin. 2005. “The Impact of Media
Bias: How Editorial Slant Affects Voters.” The Journal of Politics 67(4):
1030–1049
24. Nov 17. Elite Interviews and Ethnographies
Topics: Elite interviews and content analysis
Readings:
Wadsworth, Nancy (forthcoming) Bridging Racial Change: Political
Orientations in the U.S. Evangelical Multiracial Church
Movement.
Assignment Due: Quantitative Write-up (see Research Project Guide).
25. Nov 22. Experimental Designs
Topics: Priming, framing, experimental designs, validity
Readings:
Baum, Matthew A., and Tim Groeling. 2009. "Shot by the Messenger:
Partisan Cues and Public Opinion Regarding National Security and
War." Political Behavior 31 (2):157-86.
26. Nov 24. Thanksgiving
27. Nov 29. Experimental Designs II – Greg Blascovich Guest Lecture.
Topics: validity
Readings:
Gartner, Scott Sigmund. 2008. "The Multiple Effects of Casualties on
Public Support for War: An Experimental Approach." American
Political Science Review 102 (1):95-106.
Assignment Due: “Back-End” of the Research Paper Due.
28. Dec 1. Research Ethics and Critics of Positivism – Jesse Covington
Guest Lecture
Topics: Conformity, political psychology; research ethics
Readings: No Readings
Assignment Due: Rough Draft of Paper Due.
IV. Making Our Work Public
29. Dec 6 & 8. Student Presentations.
Assignment Due: Peer Reviews Due
30. Dec 15. Final Exam (12-2)
Assignment Due: Final Paper